Spirograph mouthpiece

ABSTRACT

A disposable mouthpiece for use with a spirometer and like instruments having an air conduit containing an impeller, which is supported within the conduit by a cap that also functions to antiseptically seal one end of the air conduit. The air conduit is adapted to be inserted into a spirometer for engagement of a drive shaft of the spirometer with the impeller. The impeller is designed to rotate the shaft when the cap is removed and air is blown through the conduit.

United States Patent Lambert 1 May2, 1972 [54] SPIROGRAPH MOUTHPIECE[72] Inventor: Jack R. Lambert, 42 The Great Road,

Bedford, Mass. 01730 [52] US. Cl ..128/2.08, 73/229 [51] Int. Cl. ..A6lb5/08 [58] Field of Search ..128/2.08, 145.8; 73/229 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS R26,654 8/1969 Lee et al... .....73/229820,259 5/1906 Renvoize. 128/208 966.050 8/1910 Ramage... 128/2081.799.635 4/1931 Nuebling. ..73/229 1.850.901 3/1932 Sturtz, Jr 73/229 X1,964,784 7/1934 Nelson et a1 ..73/229 2,837,083 6/1958 Lanooy..128/2.08

3,329,021 7/1967 Quesinberry et a1. ..73/229 3,392,724 7/1968 Cowley128/1458 3,526,133 9/1970 Love et a1.. ..73/229 3,530,857 9/1970 Miczka..128/145.8

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 150,201 9/1962 U.S.S.R. ..128/2.08

Primary Examiner-Richard A. Gaudet Assistant ExaminerKyle L. HowellAtt0rney--Wo1f, Greenfield & Sacks [57] ABSTRACT A disposable mouthpiecefor use with a spirometer and like instruments having an air conduitcontaining an impeller, which is supported within the conduit by a capthat also functions to antiseptically seal one end of the air conduit.The air conduit is adapted to be inserted into a spirometer forengagement of a drive shaft of the spirometer with the impeller. Theimpeller is designed to rotate the shaft when the cap is removed and airis blown through the conduit.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures l 37 21V l I 35 srmoomn MOUTHPIECE RELATEDAPPLICATION This is a continuationin-part of application Ser. No.861,539 filed Aug. 21, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION spirometers and like instruments are commonlyused in the medical and paramedical fields for measurement of lungcapacity. These instruments are ordinarily used by blowing into amouthpiece so that various parameters of lung capacity may be measured.Because these instruments are used successively by different people, itis necessary to provide antiseptic mouthpieces for successive use. Inthe spirometers heretofore available, antiseptic mouthpieces mightcomprise simply disposable length of tubes that are adapted to fit overanother tubular member. More recently, however, there has been developeda compact, portable spirometer described in my copending applicationSer. No. 738,517, filed June 20, 1968, now US. Pat. No. 3,555,555. Thisspirometer is designed as a portable unit and functions on a principledifferent from spirometers heretofore designed. In this newly designedspirometer, various lung capacity parameters are measured in part byrotation of a shaft in response to an input flow of air. In the originaldesign of that spirometer, the input shaft was rotated by an impellerfixed to the shaft. That arrangement, however, had certain limitationswhich arose in part because the impeller was attached to the inputshaft.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to providean improved mouthpiece for a spirometer and like instruments, and inparticular to provide an improved disposable mouthpiece that is usefulin connection with a spirometer of the type described in applicationSer. No. 738,517, filed June 20, 1968, now US. Pat No. 3,555,555. Afurther object of the present invention is to provide an improveddisposable mouthpiece design for use with spirometers and likeinstruments which incorporates a self-contained impeller that isdesigned to be secured to an operating component of the spirometer uponassembly for use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedspirometer mouthpiece that is essentially a selfdestructing mouthpieceunit so that it can only be used once in connection with a spirometer.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmouthpiece for use with spirometers and like instruments in which themouthpiece may be sterilized prior to assembly and maintained in asterile condition until actual use.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmouthpiece for a spirometer that contains a sterilized impeller adaptedto be impaled upon drive mechanisms of a spirometer upon assembly foruse.

In the present invention there is provided a disposable mouthpiece thatincludes an air conduit within which is positioned an impeller. Meansare provided for supporting the impeller within the conduit in aposition for engagement with a drive shaft of a spirometer. A sealingmeans or cap is provided for the conduit to maintain it in sterilecondition with the sealing means preferably supporting the impeller in aposition for aligned impalement upon an input shaft of a spirometer uponassembly with the spirometer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The foregoing objects and advantages ofthe present invention will be more clearly understood when considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view looking from the end opposite the cap of amouthpiece embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational detail of an impeller used in the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An air conduit 10 comprisespreferably an elongated tubular member having preferably a uniformlythick wall that is open at its opposite ends 11 and 12. An annular lip13 is formed on the inner surface 14 of end 12 of the tubular member.End 12 may have a rounded cross section, as illustrated at 15. The otherend 11 of tubular member 10 is formed with an inwardly flared annularbulge 16 that is designed to retain the impeller 20 within the interior21' of the tubular member 10.

The impeller 20 is formed with a cylindrical core 21 having a wall ofuniform cross-sectional dimension. The core 21 is integrally formed withfour radially extending blades 22, 23, 24, and 25. These blades, bestillustrated in FIG. 3, are of uniform thickness and extend the length ofthe core 21. The blades extend helically about the core 21 over a radialarc of with one end 27 of one blade axially aligned with the other end28 of the next adjacent blade. The radial length of the blades are suchas to permit frictional engagement of the blades at their ends closestto end 12 of the tubular member 10 with lip 13. When secured in thisposition, the impeller is spaced slightly inwardly, as illustrated inFIG. 2, from the extreme edge of the end 12 of the tubular member, withthe cylindrical core 21 coaxially supported with the tubular member 10.

An outer casing 30 is coaxially arranged about the tubular member 10.This outer casing comprises an annular wall 31. One end of this annularwall 31 is open and is formed with an outwardly extending peripheralflange 33 that is preferably rectangular in cross section. The wall 31tapers in cross section from a narrow thickness near flange 33 to athickened portion remote therefrom. The end of the casing 30 remote fromannular flange 33 is closed by a bottom wall 34. An aperture 35 in thebottom wall 34 is coaxially aligned with the aperture 36 of thecylindrical core 21. The aperture 35 is formed by an extension 37 of thebottom wall 34, which extension 37 extends inwardly from wall 34 to apoint short of or spaced from the adjacent end of core 21. Thecross-sectional diameter of aperture 35 is preferably slightly greaterthan the cross-sectional diameter of the aperture 36, with the apertures35 and 36 aligned with one another.

The outer casing 30 is integrally formed and secured in fixed spacedrelation to tubular member 10 by suitable support means. These supportmeans may comprise four webs 40, 41, 42, and 43. The webs, preferablyradially arranged with respect to the axis of tubular member 10 at 90 toone another, extend lengthwise of the casing 30 from the bottom wall 34to a point close to the open end of the casing 30. These four websdefine air passages 45 from the impeller to the outer periphery of thetubular member 10 adjacent the flange 33.

A cap 50 closes the open end 11 of the tubular member 10 and providessupport means for the impeller 20. In this arrangement, the cap 50 isformed with an annular wall 51 closed at one end by a bottom 52 andopened at the other end 53. Open end 53 is formed with a shoulder 54designed to frictionally receive and engage flange 33 in a sealedarrangement. The tubular member 10 extends to but just short of wall 52.A supporting post 55 extends inwardly from wall 52 within tubular member10. The post 55 terminates in a supporting pin 56, which is coaxial withthe post and tubular member 10. The supporting pin 56 frictionallyengages and fits within the core 21. This pin 56 thus cooperates withlip 13 to secure the impeller with the aperture 36 in precise alignmentwith aperture 35.

When the mouthpiece is initially manufactured, it may be assembled, asillustrated in FIG. 2. The aperture 35 may, if desired, be covered witha strippable adhesive or other means so that the interior of themouthpiece may be maintained under sterile conditions. When themouthpiece is to be used with a spirometer of the type previouslydescribed or other suitable instruments, the covering, if any, over theaperture 35 is removed. The unit is then inserted into the spirometer sothat the operating or drive shaft 35 of the spirometer is moved into theaperture 35. The diameter of the shaft of the spirometer should beslightly less than the diameter of aperture 35, but such as to provide africtional forcefit on the core 21 when the shaft is moved into theaperture 36. When the shaft is so arranged, the impeller is disengagedfrom frictional engagement with flange 13 as it moves axially inwardlyto tube 10. The shaft thus has the impeller frictionally supported onit. The cap 50 is removed, freeing the pin 56 from the impeller.Ordinarily, the casing 30 is designed to engage a suitable supportingring or collar so that the casing 30 is rigidly supported on thespirometer by such a ring or collar, while the shaft of the spirometersupports the impeller 20. The operator blows through the open end 11 ofthe tubular member after removal of the cap 50, causing operation of thespirometer. After suitable use, the mouthpiece may be removed. Uponremoval, the impeller 20 is freed from the shaft of the spirometer asthe shaft is withdrawn through aperture 35. The impeller at this stage,however, is free of the flange l3, and of course, free of pin 56 sincethe cap had previously been removed. The impeller is thus loose withinthe tubular member 10; and consequently, aperture 36 is no longeraligned with aperture 35 and the unit cannot readily be used once again.

What is claimed is: 1. A mouthpiece comprising: a casing, an airconduit, an impeller disposed within said air conduit, said casinghaving means holding one end of said air conduit, said air conduithaving means at said one end thereof for retaining said impeller, and acover disposed about the other end of said air conduit closing saidcasing, whereby said casing and cover together define an enclosure forsaid conduit and impeller, said casing including means defining a wallat one end thereof remote from said cover having an aperture thereinwhich is coaxial with a center axis of said impeller. 2. The mouthpieceof claim 1 wherein said cover includes means for supporting saidimpeller.

3. The mouthpiece of claim 2 wherein said supporting means includes apost extending interior of said air conduit and contacting saidimpeller.

4. A mouthpiece comprising: an impeller, an air conduit having means atone end thereof at least temporarily retaining the impeller within theair conduit,

and a casing having a wall at one end and being substantially open atthe other end and including elongated support webs extending inside saidcasing and terminating near said other end,

said support webs holding said one end of said air conduit,

said wall having an aperture therethrough which is coaxial with a centeraxis of said impeller. 5. The mouthpiece of claim 4 wherein said supportwebs included four webs disposed from an inner surface of said casing atone from the next.

6. The mouthpiece of claim 4 wherein said means for retaining includesan inwardly extending annular lip disposed at said one end. I

7. A mouthpiece for engagement with an external shaft comprising:

an air conduit, an impeller within said conduit, a casing surroundingand supporting one end of said conduit,

and a removable protective cover at the other end of said conduitclosing said casing, whereby said casing and cover together define anenclosure for said conduit and said impeller said casing including meansdefining a shaft-aligning aperture at an end of said casing remote fromsaid cover and coaxial with said impeller, said cover including meansfor supporting said impeller.

8. The mouthpiece of claim 7 wherein said means for supporting saidimpeller is integral with said cover and includes a post extendingaxially into said air conduit with a portion thereof in engagement withsaid impeller when said cover is closed over said casing.

9. The mouthpiece of claim 7 including a plurality of websinterconnecting said casing and air conduit supporting said air conduitin spaced relation to an outer portion of said casing.

10. The mouthpiece of claim 7 including means supporting said casingcoaxially about said air conduit and defining therewith an annular airpassage in fluid communication with said impeller.

i I i

1. A mouthpiece comprising: a casing, an air conduit, an impellerdisposed within said air conduit, said casing having means holding oneend of said air conduit, said air conduit having means at said one endthereof for retaining said impeller, and a cover disposed about theother end of said air conduit closing said casing, whereby said casingand cover together define an enclosure for said conduit and impeller,said casing including means defining a wall at one end thereof remotefrom said cover having an aperture therein which is coaxial with acenter axis of said impeller.
 2. The mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein saidcover includes means for supporting said impeller.
 3. The mouthpiece ofclaim 2 wherein said supporting means includes a post extending interiorof said air conduit and contacting said impeller.
 4. A mouthpiececomprising: an impeller, an air conduit having means at one end thereofat least temporarily retaining the impeller within the air conduit, anda casing having a wall at one end and being substantially open at theother end and including elongated support webs extending inside saidcasing and terminating near said other end, said support webs holdingsaid onE end of said air conduit, said wall having an aperturetherethrough which is coaxial with a center axis of said impeller. 5.The mouthpiece of claim 4 wherein said support webs included four websdisposed from an inner surface of said casing at 90* one from the next.6. The mouthpiece of claim 4 wherein said means for retaining includesan inwardly extending annular lip disposed at said one end.
 7. Amouthpiece for engagement with an external shaft comprising: an airconduit, an impeller within said conduit, a casing surrounding andsupporting one end of said conduit, and a removable protective cover atthe other end of said conduit closing said casing, whereby said casingand cover together define an enclosure for said conduit and saidimpeller, said casing including means defining a shaft-aligning apertureat an end of said casing remote from said cover and coaxial with saidimpeller, said cover including means for supporting said impeller. 8.The mouthpiece of claim 7 wherein said means for supporting saidimpeller is integral with said cover and includes a post extendingaxially into said air conduit with a portion thereof in engagement withsaid impeller when said cover is closed over said casing.
 9. Themouthpiece of claim 7 including a plurality of webs interconnecting saidcasing and air conduit supporting said air conduit in spaced relation toan outer portion of said casing.
 10. The mouthpiece of claim 7 includingmeans supporting said casing coaxially about said air conduit anddefining therewith an annular air passage in fluid communication withsaid impeller.